Various types of rivet setting tools are known in the industry. Some include spring actuated, pneumatically actuated, hydraulically actuated systems and combinations thereof. As rivet setting tools have developed, manufacturers strive to improve the efficiency, reduce the complexity and increase an operator's ease in handling the tool.
Rivet setting tools using pneumatic actuation to withdraw a spent mandrel from the rivet setting tool into a collection system typically apply a constant vacuum or air pressure to the rivet setting tool. Often the mechanism to create a vacuum can utilize a constant stream of compressed air. Unfortunately, the vacuum is really only needed immediately after the rivet is being set. The constant flow of highly compressed air is therefore an inefficient from an energy standpoint as well as a source of a significant amount of unnecessary noise.
It is therefore desirable in the industry to provide a rivet setting tool having a mandrel collection system that can vary the amount of mandrel collection vacuum depending upon the time within a duty cycle. Additionally, it would be desirable to provide which can be quickly adapted for varying sizes of rivets and easily disassembled for cleaning and general maintenance. It is an object of the present invention to provide a rivet setting tool, which overcomes the deficiencies in the prior art.